Someone really loves you and gave you the gift of COOK. If you are not familiar with COOK and what we have to offer, we wanted to take a moment to tell you what’s in store and to answer a very important question: “Now what?” COOK is Philadelphia’s state-of-the-art, fully equipped, sixteen-seat kitchen-classroom where guests come to enjoy chef tastings, culinary demonstrations and cooking classes. Our bookstore, boutique, kitchen, and expert staff are a resource for Philadelphia’s vibrant and diverse culture of food lovers – a space where everyone from the aspiring novice home cook to the most decorated master of cuisine can come to share their love and knowledge of food and drink. Your gift is able to be used for our demonstration classes or boutique purchases alike. There are several bits of advice we offer in terms of how to register for a class. Before we begin, keep in mind that gift certificates never expire or decrease in value, so if you don’t see anything right away that strikes your fancy, check back the following month.

WHAT’S A DEMONSTRATION CLASS?
We work with a wide-ranging group of culinary and beverage talent. They come to COOK as an opportunity to share their knowledge in a beautiful, intimate setting with people that want to hear about their passion. During these classes, guests have not only the opportunity to eat an incredible meal designed specifically for COOK guests but also to pick the brains of the instructor.

I LOOKED AT YOUR WEBSITE AND ALL OF THE CLASSES SEEM TO BE SOLD OUT
While this may be true, we release the following month’s class schedule at the beginning of the current month. So for February 2020, the classes will be available for purchase Friday, January 10th at 2pm. It is also important to know that we only have 16 seats per class and they can sell out quickly. With that being the case, you can assist yourself by following these steps.

1. BOOKMARK OUR REGISTRATION PAGE. Easy access, baby.

2. JOIN OUR E-MAIL LIST. This is the most important step, and you can do so here. COOK sends out a save-the-date e-mail to our subscribers, generally five to seven days prior to releasing the upcoming month’s schedule. We’ll provide you not only with the date but the time of the scheduled launch. In general, we recommend putting a reminder on your calendar. The more popular the chef, the quicker the class sells. It’s not uncommon for some chefs’ classes to sell out in 10 minutes or less. However, if you mark your calendar so that you’re at a computer when the time comes, you’re more likely to snag the class you want. If, however, you forgot to mark your calendar, we send out a second email blast an hour prior to the schedule launch. Note: if you have a very stringent spam/junk filter in your email, you may want to add info@audreyclairecook.com to your safe list.

3. PRE-PURCHASE PREP. A day or two prior to scheduled launch day, we post a preview of the upcoming schedule right here on our blog, and Foobooz publishes a preview as well. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter, where we’ll share the preview when it’s available. The preview is especially helpful for people who plan on attending with a friend or relative, so share the preview and make your decisions PRIOR to launch date. That way, you know what you want and you’re ready to check out immediately, as opposed to calling each other after the launch while everyone is grabbing those seats!

Set up an online account and set up your method of payment. Then right before schedule launch, log into your account. It will save you an extra step when you’re checking out – every little bit helps!

If you received a gift certificate to COOK, you’ll need the four or five-digit code on the bottom right of the certificate. There are instructions on the certificate as well. When viewing your online cart, you enter the gift certificate number in the “Coupon Code” box and press “Apply.” If you forget this step or can’t find the certificate on class launch day, buy your seats anyway! When you DO find the certificate, call or email us, and we will adjust your purchase accordingly.

4. INQUIRE ABOUT OUR WAITLIST. If the class you were craving is sold out, you may request to be added to our waitlist. Call us at 215.735.2665 and we can add your name in the event of a cancellation. While not common, cancellations occur at the last minute. There is no commitment and if you cannot attend when we contact you, no harm done.

5. SHOP AT COOK. Gift certificates are also redeemable for merchandise in our retail boutique, featuring one of the most extensive cookbook collections on the East Coast (that is updated constantly), specialty food items, private label pantry items, unique gifts, kitchen gadgets and more. Boutique hours are Tuesday through Sundays from noon to 5 pm unless a class is in session. You may also call to confirm our availability.

So…with February’s schedule going live Friday, January 10th at 2 pm, mark your calendar NOW. We hope to COOK with you soon!